Beer is an enormously popular drink both domestically and internationally. Consumers often buy beer in kegs when hosting parties where a large number of attendees are expected. Purchasing beer in kegs brings down the overall cost of the beer because, due to efficiency advantages over canning or bottling, the cost per volume is lowered, with such savings passed on to the consumer. Further, pouring beer from kegs is the most convenient dispensing method when large volumes are being consumed by many individuals.
There are two standard size beer kegs. A full keg is often referred to as a “half barrel” and holds approximately fifteen and one half gallons, while a “quarter-barrel” holds approximately seven and three quarter gallons. In either case, the consumer typically purchases a full keg from a beer distributor and places the keg in a bucket of ice to keep it cool until the beer is consumed. A tap is inserted into the top of the keg. The tap routinely comprises a pressurization pump and a dispensing handle/tube. The keg is pressurized by activating the pump, typically by moving the vertical pump lever up and down repeatedly as necessary, to obtain the desired rate of beer flow from the keg. The dispensing tube is also connected to the tap on the top of the keg. A lever on the dispensing handle is held open to dispense the beer into a cup for individual consumption.
While certain aspects of the keg make it convenient for parties, there is a common problem with the dispensing operation. Specifically, there is no suitable location for storing cups that have been filled with beer. Party hosts or guests often aspire to keep several freshly filled glasses of beer available for others to partake of at any convenient time. It is not uncommon for those pouring beer to then place filled glasses on top of the keg along the vertical “lip” or rim on the top of the keg. Unfortunately, this is a very unstable method of storing liquid-filled glasses, because the top of most kegs is domed rather than flat. Glasses placed on the keg will sit at an angle and thus can easily topple over. Moreover, glasses can slide side-to-side, leading to further instability. The inevitable outcome of such instability is that beer is inadvertently spilled and wasted, with the resulting mess.
A few prior art references have addressed certain needs pertaining to beer kegs and cup storage, but none have addressed the problem solved by the present invention. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,896 discloses a sleeve for supporting a stack of cups on the side of the container and U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,758 references a pocket for holding cups. U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,034 describes a single cup holder positioned under a dispensing valve for holding only one cup at a time or a pressurized container. It is compatible for use with a standard keg. While these references describe convenient means to transport and hold a stack of cups, they do not securely hold and store a plurality of individual cups while dispensing a liquid beverage. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 412,348 shows a keg game table design. This device appears to be somewhat cumbersome and not readily adapted for use in securing and stabilizing beer glasses or mugs being filled or resting on standard shaped kegs.